"The reason we do perspective posters and visit the hospitals is so these guys have a true appreciation for how fortunate they are," Bakich said. "But also with baseball, you build up these bottom-of-the-ninth, game-winning situations like they're life and death. When we actually go visit people who really have struggled with life and death, you understand we're playing a kid's game. We can actually perform better knowing it's not really a life-or-death situation. It's about execution and we'll make the opponent make it life or death."

. . .

Bakich has enlisted the help of Brian Cain, a mental conditioning coach who has worked with several college baseball programs. Cain's purpose is to give players tools to understand the mental aspects of baseball.

"They've learned how to implement routines and use breathing and visualization and self-talk to not only help them maintain their confidence, but be able to focus on one pitch at a time," Bakich said. "Brian has been great for routine implementation and getting these guys to stick to the process."

And part of that process is, very simply, having the players work on their breathing, whether he's a pitcher, hitter, or playing defense.

The players also have been taught to recognize "signal lights," when game situations are getting tight and players begin to talk to themselves negatively. Every player, Bakich said, has a release, whether it's kicking dirt, taking his helmet off or adjusting his batting glove. Next, the player finds his personal focal point, whether it's the left-field foul pole or a spot on the bat, for example, and he then returns to positive thinking.

Comment viewing options

Angelique is the only writer in the market who has proven, time and again, that she can be trusted not to hurt the school. I am guessing that is why the Athletic Department seems to give her a tiny bit more access than other writers.

I think it's about being fair and balanced and not making up news or spinning news for website hits or reads.

She never does that. Sure she'll do her fluff "feel-good" pieces. But it's not like she didn't write about Stonum or Fitz when they had their troubles.

My issue with other beat writers is that they make up their own news or twist the information.

I come to you for NEWS. Period. I want to know what happened because I wasn't there. Just give me the NEWS, plain and simple. AC is the best at doing just this. Whether positive or negative. She doesn't have to add bias or opinion in it like the Freep.

I certainly wouldn't say "the only" but I do agree, she is a professional and one of the few writers where you can say "so-and-so wrote....." and I would think "I should definitely go read that" based on the name as much as the subject.

I'd be wrong too, of course. One of the things some young people lack due to nothing more than being young is perspective. A program like this advances their life experience and gives them just a bit of perspective, among other things.